The northwest region, encompassing the states of Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto, is a growing epicenter for food insecurity and malnutrition. An estimated 2,9 million people are presently experiencing severe food insecurity (Phase 3 or worse of the Cadre Harmonisé) This number is expected to rise to 4,3 million during the dry season if no immediate action is taken.
According to the October 2022 Cadre Harmonisé, a Government-led and UN-supported food and nutrition analysis conducted twice yearly, nearly 25 million Nigerians are at risk of confronting hunger between June and August 2023 (lean season) if immediate action is not taken.
This is an increase from the current estimate of 17 million persons at risk of food insecurity. This alarming trend is primarily driven by ongoing conflict, climate change, inflation, and escalating food costs. Persistent violence in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) northeastern states and armed banditry and abduction in states such as Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Benue, and Niger have impacted food access. According to the National Emergency Management Agency, widespread flooding during the rainy season of 2022 harmed over 676,00 hectares of agriculture, reducing harvests and increasing the risk of food insecurity for families nationwide. Flooding is one consequence of climate change and variability affecting Nigeria. More extreme weather patterns that threaten food security are anticipated in the future.
Three million of the currently food-insecure 17 million persons reside in the northeast BAY states. Without urgent action, this number is anticipated to rise to 4,4 million during the lean season. This includes highly vulnerable displaced populations and returnees who are already struggling to endure an extensive humanitarian crisis in which 8.3 million individuals require assistance.
Mr. Matthias Schmale, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, stated that the food security and nutrition situation throughout the country is extremely concerning. “I have visited nutrition stabilization centers teeming with children battling for survival. We must act immediately to ensure that they and others receive the necessary lifesaving assistance.”
The most susceptible to nutritional insecurity are children. 6 million of the 17 million food-insecure Nigerians are under-5 children residing in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, Katsina, and Zamfara. Acute malnutrition poses a substantial mortality risk among infants. The number of children suffering from acute malnutrition is projected to rise from 1.74 million in 2022 to 2 million in 2023 in the BAY states alone.
UNICEF, in collaboration with the government and partners including MSF and ALIMA, is investing in expanding preventive nutrition interventions and ensuring that vulnerable children have access to life-saving nutrition services. In 2022, UNICEF and its partners were able to provide life-saving nutrition services to approximately 650,000 children in the six aforementioned states.
The northwest region, encompassing the states of Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto, is a growing epicenter for food insecurity and malnutrition. An estimated 2,9 million people are presently experiencing severe food insecurity (Phase 3 or worse of the Cadre Harmonisé) This number is expected to rise to 4,3 million during the dry season if no immediate action is taken.
Together with its partners, FAO has assisted the government in restoring livelihoods in the northeast and northwest. This includes livestock production, agricultural production, micro-gardening on the homestead, value chain development, and aquaculture.
The United Nations is urging the Government of Nigeria, the donor community, and public and private actors to immediately commit resources and implement mitigation measures in order to save lives and prevent a potentially catastrophic food security and nutrition situation. Support for vulnerable families throughout the nation is required immediately, not tomorrow.